
New figures from Topps Mego, Playmates and ReAction/Super 7 by
Ian McLean, on Flickr
Long, story with happy ending!
I feel vindicated! Last year, when the Topps' Mego 8" exclusive figures were being promoted, I panicked. It was going to be very difficult to order from Australia, especially when USPS had put Australia on a parcel ban list due to the pandemic! Of the six, I really wanted the Kor, the Quark and the Borg Queen. I decided I could lived without an additional Spock (even though it was a TMP Spock!), and the Sisko and Worf were not all that special.
I found a reseller taking pre-orders on eBay and ordered the Kor for the most reasonable price/postage. When the next pair was offered, I found a different reseller for the Quark. Again, quite reasonable price/postage. Then it turned out that the same reseller was the one listing the Borg Queen. (Even though she was a bit underwhelming, I did rather like the sheen of her skin, a good representation of her oily look in "First Contact".)
When the Topps' figures were delayed and delayed and delayed, I would sent the odd message to the resellers, then I worried when the three-month window for cancelling the Kor accidentally passed me by. Ooops. I was fairly reassured that the reseller was genuine, and he sent me jovial replies a few times. Had I cancelled Kor at that three-month mark, and received my refund, I lessened my chances of ever getting the figure.
The reseller of Quark and the Borg Queen ignored me every time. That was worrying! Ultimately, the three-month refund window passed for each of those, too. The Kor guy did thank me for the regular updates and, when the Topps figures started turning up for other collectors, I figured I was safe. Then the link for the Kor purchase stopped functioning, but the reseller still responded to my message replies to previous messages. Ultimately, he (and the Kor) vanished from eBay altogether. I found another Kor from a different seller and he arrived safely a few weeks ago.
eBay does not permit the sending of personal details in messages to a seller, so I realised I had only one legal way to flag the person. I found the cheapest cool item they were selling in their eBay shop and I embedded my enquiry on that, telling her I intend to buy the 3D collector card of Admiral Ackbar if only I could convey my dilemma of the lost Megos. A reply came back! She had realised she had no other way to find me either. After the three months was up, she probably did have a way to refund all of her preorders but, after that time elapses, supposedly the sellers also lose the means to communicate directly?
Anyway, I took a further risk. I bought the 3D card and she agreed that she could help me out with the previous lost orders - and the box arrived a few days ago: a 3D card, Quark and the Borg Queen, all intact! (I did overpay the postage, of course, but I did finally get my three Topps figures.) Whew!
Lots of other goodies turned up this week, thanks also to my US penpal, who has been receiving all my US eBay purchases, on my behalf, during the annoying USPS ban on parcels to my country! That box was M.I.A. for over a month, but yay! Lots of ReAction TNG, FanSets pins and insignia - and
three of the new Playmates figures.